Kingsfall glass hillside

All welcome to meet Andy! <3 awkward first post || Early evening, Overcast Clouds, 55.4 ° F, 13 ° C

She moved through the forest with grace and at a brisk trot. Underneath the forest canopy, she could hide from the coming storm. She actually wasn't positive if a storm was coming but the clouds had been hanging above her head all day. Surely they would dump rain soon enough. It would be welcomed by the blue-eyed female. She never had anything against storms.

Blue eyes took in the forest scenery. This wasn't a bad place to be if she had to be lost anywhere. Her pace slowed down so she could take in the view better. Tall sequoias crowding together with a typical littered forest floor and the sound of a creek flowing in the distance. The large female's tail swayed behind her as a smile threatened to cross her features. She turned herself to head towards the sound of water for a thirst had been building in the back of her throat.

Andromeda couldn't stop herself from moving a bit faster when the creek came into view. It only took a moment or two for her to reach the small shore. Her head lowered but her ears still stayed erect and alert for anything around her. One more glance around and then she could relax and soothe her thirst.

She was doing it. She was breaking the rules and attempting to explore the lands beyond Hearthwood. Attempting was the key word, for her legs trembled with each step she took. The woods beyond the river were not safe—they were filled with unimaginable dangers. Or so she believed, for she had not seen much of the Kingswood. Her loose-lipped sister ventured beyond the borders frequently and came back with all her limbs firmly attached, so it couldn’t be all bad, right? She frowned.

The trees were impossibly tall, looming overhead and blocking out most of the sky. It was gloomy and terrifying but she refused to turn back. Not yet. If Lilliana knew that she had only gone a few steps outside of Hearthwood territory and returned with her tail tucked between her legs Lavender wouldn’t hear the end of it. Ugh. With her ears pressed neatly atop her crown the girl continued forward, her green gaze fixated on the path before her. One step, two steps… She couldn’t turn back. No way. Not yet.

The scent of another nearly caused the girl to trip over her paws, her eyes wide as her breathing quickened. Oh no, oh noooo! It wasn’t even a river wolf!!! I’m dead, I am done. Dead. Beyond dead. Super dead. She took several steps backward but hit her back paw against a log and stumbled backward, a loud Ooof! escaping her as she fell to the ground.

She had only managed a few sips of the water before a sound reached her ears. Her head instantly yanked up, hackles raised and blue eyes widened as she searched for the culprit. There on the forest floor was a splat of ivory. A child. She took in a deep breath as her hackles settled down and blue eyes returned to their normal size.

"Ya poor t'ing." She spoke softly with her head lowering. "Ya alright?" The large woman took a careful step forward in order to not cause any more damage to the child. Who knew if she had conked her head when she fell? Or sprained an ankle or bruised some ribs? Her brows furrowed together tightly as she felt guilt and worry bubbling up within her stomach.

Then a whole new worry sprung up, not about injuries. Whose child was this? Was there a parent nearby ready to spring into action? Andromeda hadn't smelt anyone else around. In fact, there had been something almost familiar about the scent on the young girl but Andy wasn't in her right mind to place it. Her blue eyes looked around the area, trying to see between the trees for any angry parent stomping onto the scene.

This was the end. With her back pressed against the forest floor and her emerald gaze fixated on the sea of leaves overhead Lavender accepted her fate. The stranger had found her and was definitely going to eat her now. An exasperated sigh escaped her as she closed her eyes, accepting what was about to happen to her as she listened to the approaching steps. This was it. She had lived a boring life (due to her reluctance to explore), but it had been mostly good. Her parents, oh no! She would miss them terribly. They had always done whatever necessary to make her life better as they doted on both her and her sister equally. Would they find her crumpled body, torn apart by the approaching stranger, or would nothing be left? She shuddered at the thought, her features scrunched up as the steps finally stopped, her breath caught in her throat—

Ya poor t’ing. One eye opened and hesitantly searched for the wolf behind the voice. Ya alright? Yes. No. Sort of? Maybe. She blinked both eyes opened and rolled onto her stomach, ears pressed against her skull as she shuffled backward in a feeble attempt at distancing herself from the blue-eyed stranger. Except she looked an awful lot like Ma.

She shook her head. Despite the resemblance this wolf was still a stranger. And strangers were hella scary.

(Some vocabulary picked up from Lilliana, oh no, what was her sister doing to her…)

“‘m fine,” she mumbled quickly as she averted her gaze from the scarlet woman, a frown tucked neatly against her pale maw as her tongue fell slack once more. 

Well, the words were certainly a relief to hear but that didn't lull all the worries bubbling in the Valrorys female's gut. "Ya sure? 'M a medic. Can offer some 'elp." Not that she was exactly positive what was around here to use. Hopefully, the cooling weather and lack of sun hadn't killed off anything useful. It was times like now she missed having somewhere permanent to set up. She could have her own medical den, become familiar with the area, stock up on things. A sigh threatened to leave her lips but she held it back. One day she would be able to have those wants fulfilled again.

"Ah can walk ya 'ome or somethin'?" Nice one, Andy. This kid probably knew about stranger danger and a question like that was probably high up on the list of Weird Things Strangers Say to Lull You In. Maybe this kid would see it for what it was, though. Just a nice gesture. She had already caused the ivory girl to stumble so the least she could do was see her home safe.

Her head stayed lowered and her tail hung limply in order to stay as non-threatening as possible. She was big, she knew that and sometimes big things scared little kids which made this almost twice as hard for the blue-eyed female.

She hoped that once she had announced that she was indeed fine (albeit terrified) that the russet stranger would flee the scene and leave her be. Her peridot’s narrowed expectantly, waiting for the loner to retreat back to wherever it was she came from. But the departure never came. Instead more words filled the space between them, each one dripping with concern. She sighed in frustration, her ears now lifting from her crown as she focused her attention on the white-cheeked wolf, a frown gracing her delicate features. “M’dad is a medic. ‘M fine, I swear,” he added with a sharp nod, a line forming between her brows. Now leave me alone!

Why did she have to stray from Hearthwood? There were no strangers along the river—not unless they were new to the pack.

Oh no. Now the she-wolf was offering to take her home! This was bad, very bad. She took another step away from the blue-eyed wolf, her head shaking frantically at the female’s offer. “N-no!” She started, her eyes never once wavering from the large female’s body, “S’okay! I c-can take m’self home,” she added in a frantic tone as she offered the loner a sheepish smile. “M’parents won’ want me bringin’ strangers ‘ome." Not unless they intended to stay.

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

That speech pattern. Was the girl making fun of her? Or did the wolves like here generally speak like that too? She really didn't know and it made the whole case a lot messier.

While she inwardly worried about the whole thing it seemed the child was backing away from her. Could Andy blame her? Not really. She was a big stranger who had come out of nowhere really. She didn't own these lands or even belong to them. Would the child cry out if she kept pushing the matter? That would surely by putting the nail in her coffin. A crying child with a stranger? Seemed like the perfect setup for a parent to latch onto her throat and not let go.

So awkwardly she laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "Ah can understan' that." Hadn't her own parents taught her the danger of strangers? That was before strangers showed up their doorstep and...well, yeah. This kid was likely just doing what she was told. Not bringing strangers home seemed like a pretty good lesson to follow.

"But, ah," The large female slowly started off. "Where'd ya learn ta talk like tha'?" A brow raised slightly above blue eyes. Surely it was too close to her own accent to just be baby babble.

The laugh had come as a bit of a surprise, causing her head to flop to the side as curiosity slowly began to replace the fear that had bubbled up inside of her. She maintained her distance as she unfolded herself from the ground, her posture assuming a more relaxed (comfortable) position. Ah can understan’ that. Huh. The blue-eyed stranger not only looked like her Ma, but she sounded like her too. How weird! She blinked, her head flopping to the other side. Lavender would have to tell her mother about this wolf, even if it meant admitting that she had snuck away from the pack dens. Her throat became dry at the thought of being scolded by her mother and she swallowed, hard, to make it disappear.

No words fell from her own tongue as she watched the blue-eyed female curiously, waiting for her to turn on her heels and leave her be. Instead the wolf spoke once more, earning a sigh from the girl. “I dono,” she mumbled quickly, her shoulders rolling into a soft shrug as she dismissed the question. “Ma talk funny, kinda like you,” she added with a small laugh before drawing her lips tight, her cheeks flushing crimson beneath her ivory fur, “An’, uh, m’dad does sometime. N’like Ma, though.” 

Maybe she was finally getting the kid to warm up, with that small laugh and seeming more willing to share information. Of course, it wasn't a whole lot but it still answered what Andy had asked of the ivory child. Her Ma talked funny, kinda like her. How much further could she prod the child for information?

"Well, maybe yer Ma might know me. Or be from my neck o' th'woods." She chuckled softly. Mentioning how far she was from home that would be a funny idea. "Ya kno' issa unique way o' talkin'." The large tawny female assured the smaller child. Andromeda really hadn't crossed many wolves that chatted like her and her family did. It almost felt comforting to hear someone else using the same kind of tone and mushing of words. Almost too familiar and for a split moment, a sick feeling crawled around in her belly.

That thought would be pushed aside for now, though. She had no intent on possibly startling the girl again. "'M Andromeda Valrorys." Her tail gave a few soft wags as her head cocked to the side for a moment. "But ya can call me Andy." It was likely an easier name for the young girl to say anyways.